Forgotten beauty - Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT from 1963
At the 1963 New York Auto Show, Chevrolet presented two test vehicles based on the Chevrolet Corvair, the Monza GT in coupé form and the open-top Monza SS.
The Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT was the result of a collaboration between Bill Mitchell (styling) and Zora Arkus-Duntov (construction, who were given extensive freedom in the design of the one-off.
The result of this work is an aerodynamically optimized mid-engine coupé with a number of special features: the roof and doors can be raised for access, the pedals and steering wheel can be adjusted instead of the seats, and adjustable blinds in the rear regulate the ventilation. The engine was the air-cooled six-cylinder from the Corvair, refined with twin carburetors and twin exhaust pipes.
Production was not planned from the outset, but some styling elements were found on later GM vehicles. In general, this bold creation was surprising at the time, as General Motors was used to rather conservative vehicles at the time.
